Tiger Cage III Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Tiger Cage III Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 11, 2023

Third time isn’t the charm for 1991’s “Tiger Cage 3,” which is another separate tale of underworld entanglement from director Woo-Ping Yuen, who returns to keep the brand name going for another chapter of violent entertainment. It’s more cops vs. crooks activity in the second sequel, but the production isn’t completely dedicated to the cause, softening the story with a talky tale of tragedy, revenge, and business dealings, limiting martial arts and gunplay to just a few extended sequences. “Tiger Cage 3” tries to deliver a human take on heroism and relationships, but it’s more of a soap opera than an involving drama, delivering puzzling behaviors and plotting as it gives in to melodrama that’s nowhere near as compelling as all the physical mayhem of the first two titles in this series.

James (Kwok Leung Cheung) is a Hong Kong cop worried about his girlfriend, Suki (Man Cheung), who’s a financial advisor for a big corporation. His partner, John (Michael Wong), urges him to do something about his fears, with the men planting a listening device in Suki’s purse as she enters a meeting concerning illegal business activity involving Lee (Kam-kong Wong), a ruthless gangster who often plays recklessly with money and the stock market. When Suki learns of the bug, she agrees to help the law enforcement officials deal with the situation, but the villains leave little time to think, with Lee and his men eliminating Suki’s boss, while James is nearly killed in the fight. Left with a heavily burned body, James goes through agonizing pain as he returns to power, obsessed with finding Suki, who’s been forced to join Lee, becoming his lover and advisor, dealing with complicated feelings as she tries to find a way out of her situation.

“Tiger Cage” and “Tiger Cage 2” were quick to jump into action sequences, eager to deliver all the chaos moviegoers were looking to find with these supercop adventures. “Tiger Cage 3” changes the rhythm of the franchise, taking its time as it studies the relationship between James and John, two cops trying to deal with the demands of justice in Hong Kong. Suki is the woman James loves but doesn’t fully trust, agreeing to place a bug in her purse to keep tabs on her, which exposes some criminal dealings and insider stock information John is happy to use to get himself out of crippling debt. The only real excitement in the first act is Suki’s apparent alcoholism, as the seemingly refined businesswoman is happy to engage in club drinking games, easily topping opponents who dare to challenge her love of booze. Suki is an odd character, but “Tiger Cage 3” is a strange film, and the production is in no hurry to get the endeavor into a sprint, looking to sell the loosely defined story first before guns are drawn.

Action eventually arrives in “Tiger Cage 3,” with James caught up in Lee business, trying to make sense of this unusual threat, including the assassination of Suki’s boss. There’s less of a martial arts component in the picture, which favors more John Woo-style blast ‘em screen activity, and stunt work is downright gymnastic, watching the actors engage in superhuman flips and kicks while battling villains. There’s also the vibe of a theme park stunt show as “Tiger Cage 3” addresses Lee’s sadism, with Suki sent to a sawmill (a very “Dudley Do-Right” idea) for disposal, forcing James to intervene, and jet skis are thrown into the mix, taking the chases and gunplay to the sea. Broad heroism is undeniably entertaining, and one certainly wishes the feature was more interested in going wild with attacks and defenses, as the “Tiger Cage” saga of unrelated tales of bravery does its best work while trying to wow viewers with brutality and displays of physical force.

Tiger Cage III Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "2K restoration by Fortune Star," who appear to be sprucing up an older master of the feature. Fine detail is generally muted, and grain looks processed at times. Colors carry a bit more style than the previous chapters, with use of deep blue lighting periodic in the picture. Skin tones are natural. Delienation is acceptabe, preserving evening event. Source is in good condition.

Tiger Cage III Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is offered in Cantonese and English, and offers a slightly muddier sense of engagement, reflecting age and the technology of the day. Intelligibility isn't lost, but dialogue exchanges aren't crisp. Scoring supports with similar limitations, but movie moods are understood. Sound effects are blunt.

Tiger Cage III Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian David West.

• "A New Wave of Violence" (19:57, HD) is an appreciation piece from film critic James Mudge.

• "Inventing an Icon" (8:12, HD) is an appreciation piece from film critic Ricky Baker.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:48, HD) and an English Trailer (4:01, SD) are included.

Tiger Cage III Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Tiger Cage 3" tries to bend itself into a romantic tragedy with the saga of James, who's nearly blown to pieces while trying to save Suki, left with brutal facial scars he covers up with a metal mask, closely shadowing his girlfriend's movements as she's sent to a special type of hell involving sex and submission with Lee. The material inches toward a "Phantom of the Opera"-type of relationship with James and Suki, and there's trouble with John, who's dealing with crippling financial losses and a general break from lawfulness. "Tiger Cage 3" tries to concentrate on character, which is laudable, but this isn't the brand name for limp sensitivities and unfocused plotting. This is "Tiger Cage," and any throttling of supercop aggressions is sure to be met with a yawn.